It is important to know how to care for your yarn. Both before and after you make it into something amazing. You want your yarn ready and lovely to work with. Then once you have spent all that time knitting or crocheting you want your finished object to look its best and the last as long as possible.
Caring for skeins:
Your yarn will come to you in a hank or skein. It is best to keep it like this until you are ready to use it. When you are ready to start a project wind it into a ball. Storing your yarn in a ball for too long may stretch it and cause it to loose its bounce.
The easiest way to wind a ball is with a swift and ball winder. But the back of a chair and your hands are just fine too. I offer a ball winding service, if you want to start a project as soon as your yarn arrives.
Store your yarn in a cool and dry place, out of direct sunlight. Make sure that it is dust and moth free (small lavender sachets or bars of soap help to repel moths).
Caring for your projects:
You can wash your superwash wool garments in the washing machine on a gentle/wool cycle. However, to increase the life of your finished projects I recommend hand washing.
How to hand wash your woolens:
Fill your sink with slightly warm water, add a drop of gentle soap (or hair shampoo/conditioner). Add your knitted item to the water and let it soak down until it is fully immersed. Do not push it down or squeeze, as this can cause unnecessary agitation and felt or pill your project. Soak for about 30mins, or until the item is completely wet through. Remove the item from the water and let the water drain out (again to not squeeze). Lay out a towel, place the item in the towel and gentle roll it up to absorb the water. Lay flat to dry, pinning out or pulling into shape if required.
Depilling:
Over time projects may develop pills. The best way to remove pills from a project is with an electric de-piller or lint remover. These gadgets “shave” the pills from the surface of the project, without harming the stitches.